pull at

phrasal verb

pulled at; pulling at; pulls at

1

: to hold onto and pull (something) repeatedly

When she gets nervous, she pulls at her ear.

2

: to breathe in the smoke from (a cigarette, pipe, etc.)

He rocked back and forth, pulling at his pipe.

Examples of pull at in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Finch said the offer was essentially pulled at the school board meeting originally meant to confirm the hiring. —Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 11 May 2024

Neutrality is, however, firmly rooted in the Swiss psyche and ditching it would be akin to Britain abolishing the monarchy, regardless of the geopolitical forces pulling at the country, said former ambassador Woker. —Fox News, 10 May 2024

Setting The Searcher and The Hunter far from Dublin, out among the boggy wilds and muddy farms of Ireland’s west coast, pulls at a different aspect of the country’s economic decline. —Hillary Kelly, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024

Neurotic and self-deprecating, typically dressed all in black, Mr. Lewis paced the stages of comedy clubs, hanging his head, pulling at his shock of black hair, riffing on his struggles in life and love. —Clay Risen, New York Times, 29 Feb. 2024

Having to keep your legs crossed, constantly adjusting your position in the chair or pulling at your hem will distract you and chip away at your confidence. —Jane Hanson, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2024

The actual blossoms Marvin: The general rule is we are not allowed to really pluck and touch and pull at and tug at the cherry blossoms. —Matt McClain, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024

The larger, Deep Down size of this lure can reach depths of twenty feet when trolled, can be pulled at a creep at 1 MPH, and runs well at up to 4 MPH (1.5 to 2.5 MPH is the most common speed for walleyes). —David A. Rose, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024

Glass: Glass massagers are easy to clean and have a low chance of pulling at or irritating your skin. —Isabella Ubaldi, Health, 20 Mar. 2024